Overview

The CO.LAB Accelerator is an immersive 12-week experience for startups working to scale high-growth companies.

Located in Chattanooga, TN, we support entrepreneurs operating in the consumer goods sector, those developing next-gen internet applications as well as companies bringing innovation to the healthcare and insurance industries.

Learn more about our accelerators:

Consumer Goods

GIGTANK

Upcoming Dates:

Consumer Goods Accelerator Application Deadline: June 16

Consumer Goods Accelerator Launch: July 27

Perks

We are located in Chattanooga, TN — home of the nation’s fastest commercially available internet speeds and one of the strongest manufacturing hubs in the Southeast.

Entrepreneurs selected for our accelerators join an elite network of trailblazers in business and academia. In addition to those connections, our startups enjoy these perks:

Market Access & Industry Expertise

On-the-ground guidance from a robust network of industry experts, specialists, business mentors, and major corporate partners

Access to follow-on capital upon completion of the program

Space to Live and Work

Some free housing throughout the summer cycle of the accelerator, courtesy of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Collaborative workspace and office resources in the heart of Chattanooga’s Innovation District

Participating startups in either of our accelerators can also benefit from our toolkit partners:

Apply for the Consumer Goods Accelerator by June 16

APPLY NOW

Our Approach

A startup is only as potent as the team behind it, which is why we bring a ‘founders first’ approach to every company we accelerate. We’ll work with you to develop clarity around your goals and then design a personalized strategy for achieving them. Our program is structured to help you to align your resources — such as people, time, capital and equipment — with specific actions that will grow your business.

Our core curriculum:

Build

product/service development, research, technical specifications

Manage

team building, resource gathering, financing, product-market alignment

Sell

customer engagement, sales cycle, market opportunity

We’ll help guide you through:

Finding your product/market fit
Establishing or expanding your distribution channels
Refining your sales plan and developing your funnel
Building an investable story
Establishing a solid go-to-market strategy
And much more…

What to expect:

Throughout the full 12-week experience, you’ll meet weekly as a group to hear from our EIR, guest speakers and business experts. You and your co-founders will also meet with our EIR individually, as well as with various mentors each week as needed. The program culminates with a Demo Night, where you’ll pitch your startups to an audience of potential investors, media and key business leaders.